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Tuesday, January 26, 2016

Homemade Ranch Dip & Dressing Mix

Long ago, I discovered that my children will eat all kinds of fresh vegetables if they've got ranch dressing to dip them in!

My kids love dipping carrots, celery, cucumbers, and more in ranch dip. When I was a younger mom, I thought this was a great idea and bottles of cheap, store-brand dressing were a necessary item on each week's grocery list. Now that our family has become more health-conscious, I'm trying to replace much of the processed, chemical-laced, sugar-filled products we used to use with things that are homemade. This saves money, uses a safer recipe with ingredients that I've put in myself, and gives me a sense of accomplishment knowing I've taken the time to make a healthier alternative for my family.

A couple years ago, I started making my own ranch seasoning mix and I use it whenever I need dressing, dip, or a ranch flavor in a meat or salad recipe. I buy very inexpensive seasonings at Walmart or Aldi for less than a dollar each---but I don't scrimp on my dill. The dill is what makes or breaks it, in my opinion, so I use the best quality I can find. If you grow your own, that's even better! When I'm ready to mix up a dressing or dip, I use sour cream, liquid cream or milk, and lemon juice.

Homemade Ranch Seasoning Mix

1 1/2 c. dried parsley

3/4 c. onion powder

1/4 c. each of salt, pepper, dill, and garlic powder

Mix all dry ingredients together (I use a whisk) well and store in an air-tight container (I use a Mason jar with a screw-on lid). Do not store dry mix in the refrigerator or freezer.

Homemade Ranch Dip

2 c. sour cream

1/2 c. milk or liquid cream

1 TB. lemon juice

2 TB. ranch seasoning mix

Homemade Ranch Dressing

1 c. milk or liquid cream

1 1/2 c. sour cream

1 TB. lemon juice

2 TB. ranch seasoning mix

Both recipes must be stored in the refrigerator. You can substitute mayonnaise or yogurt for some of the sour cream, if needed. I've even used water for some of the liquid, in a pinch. As far as expirations go, I just use the closest expiration date between the dairy products.

I like to use full-fat dairy products in my home. Often times, fat is replaced with sugar in low-fat products and healthy fats can be very beneficial to our bodies---definitely more so than sugar! The recipe will turn out fine whether you choose to use full-fat or nonfat products, so don't let that keep you from making your dips and dressings in a way that suits your unique family.

Thanks for stopping by The Homemaking Party! I can't wait to see what you've got to share!

17 comments:

This looks like a terrific recipe, Mrs. Sarah. Do you happen to have measurements for a single batch of the powder so that I can try it before I make the investment?Blessings from Harvest Lane Cottage!Do drop in!Mrs. Laura Lane

I like your new blog's look. Thanks for "talking back" at Harvest Lane Cottage. Do you know that your comments come through to my email as a "no reply blogger"? If you'd like to get direct responses to your comments more often, you might like to know how to change that. I wrote about it in this blog post.

If you're like me, you don't have time to go back and check on other blogs to see if you've gotten a response to your comment. I sometimes can take time to track down commenters, but I'm usually short on time.

ஐღLauraღஐ Harvest Lane Cottage...doing what I can with what I've got where I am on a short shoestring budget!~~~~~

Hi Sarah, this recipe looks so good. Thanks for sharing!! Not sure we met or not since you made a name change but I have so enjoyed my visit. Thank you for stopping by and your kind comment.Blessings for a great weekend ahead. xo

Hi Sarah, this recipe looks so good. Thanks for sharing!! Not sure we met or not since you made a name change but I have so enjoyed my visit. Thank you for stopping by and your kind comment.Blessings for a great weekend ahead. xo

Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a comment! I read each one of them and love to respond back to those who visit! Please consider signing up for EMAIL NOTICES so you'll have a reminder of our weekly HOMEMAKING PARTY---and more! Have a wonderful day!